Jharkhand students suspend 26-day protest, give Soren govt two-month ultimatum

Students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations have suspended their 26-day agitation and given the state government two months to address their demands, the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch announced on Wednesday. Three protesters ended their 15-day hunger strike. The announcement came a day after the JMM-led government cancelled 22 exams and ordered probes into 23 others conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission since 2014, citing the need to restore confidence in the recruitment system.

The cancellations have triggered separate protests from about 2,000 candidates who cleared the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level exam and had joined government departments. They forcibly entered the Secretariat campus in Ranchi, defying prohibitory orders, demanding revocation of the cancellation order. They argue that action should be taken against those guilty, not against meritorious candidates. The government has set up a committee under IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal to recommend reforms within two months, and will seek a fast-track court for irregularities cases. The Jharkhand CID has arrested Sushma Kumari and Akshay Tiwari, relatives of key accused Abhay Tiwari, in the ongoing probe.